Skills for reference staff

[Sara Weissman/Morris Cty Library]

Wednesday the Governor signed a managed health care bill; Thursday AM a patron
wanted a copy. Had I not been able to change the printer over from letter to
legal length to print the Envoy file (of the bill) patron would not have
gotten his/her information. We fumbled our way through this because the library
who called it in hadn't yet even installed an Envoy reader or plug-in in
their browser (though took our suggestions and went at it with a will and
a way). The reference staff *collectively* needs to be able to deliver 
information to the patron. Given different staffing configurations, sizes,
ages, temperaments, how that is done will be highly variable. I would tell a
group "this is what we have to be able to do...how might we achieve this
collective competency?"//For myself? I am a bit weary of the stereotype
(and sometimes, bashing) of the techno-maladept. We are in a (major!)
transition period of professional tools ..let's try to be flexible and
good-humored about it and with one another. I use my own timeline as
an example in my workshops:
1973, Columbia Univ...only course requiring a computer is Hines' indexing
class...you trot across campus with yr shoebox of cards to the Engineering
School...where there IS a computer. My job at the International Affairs
Library entails supervising student pages who are only allowed to file
*above* the rod..I check the work and drop the cards.
1983, UToronto...I take a couple of computer courses to catch up on
developments in the profession. Dumb terminals, 300 baud modems, minis
in the basement ..learn PASCAL.
1993, Morris County Library. Go live with Internet on 350+ dumb
terminals in 32 libraries for 440,000 residents. Reference department
has one 286 with PSFWrite installed..being shared by staff of 14 to
produce bibliographies.
I have been able to invest my own time and money in an nearly exhausting
continual learning curve ..not many in a generally underpaid profession
can say that. Far too often I have seen trainers and/or administrators
who, essentially, tell very effective librarians of long and solid 
careers "You don't know anything if you don't know the Internet (computers,
technology...whatever)"  I love Dr. David Carr's occasional comment
to his students at Rutgers SCILS  .."The power has gone out. NOW: 
serve your patrons." (No, you don't have battery back-up!)